Homeowners advised to beware of transient asphalt pavers

Hey there, time traveller!This article was published 12/7/2013 (1246 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Police are asking members of the public to watch out for unlicensed asphalt pavers in the city.

The warning comes after the arrest of several foreign nationals doing illegal work in 2012, though Cst. Jason Michalyshen of the Winnipeg police said no similar arrests have been made in 2013.

The contractors, Michalyshen said, will do substandard work, for cash, and sometimes get victims to pay more money or threaten to leave before finishing the job.

"These individuals, we believe, are in our community," Michalysen said.

"The work is very poor quality and (victims) will be out potentially thousands of dollars," he said.

If caught, Michaylsen said the contractors usually face fraud charges.

Winnipeg police are encouraging the public to request business licenses, sign a written contract and pay by cheque when approached for this type of work. Members of the public who believe they have been approached by fraudulent contractors can call the WPS Commercial Crime Unit at 204-986-6321.

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